Huge ‘City Killer’ asteroid to pass between Earth and Moon on Saturday night – How to see its path

A asteroid large enough to destroy a city will pass between its orbits Earth and her Moon this weekend.

The object, named 2023 DZ2, was discovered a month ago.

The Saturdaywill pass within 515,000 kilometers of the moon, before flying by Earth hours later.

It is rare for such a huge asteroid – estimated to be between 40 and 90 meters in diameter – to come so close to the planet.

According to a NASA Asteroid Watch post, it is rare for such a large asteroid to come this close and events like this only happen about once a decade.

A newly discovered #asteroid named 2023 DZ2 will safely pass by Earth on Saturday at 100K+ miles away. 🌎

While close approaches are a regular occurrence, one by an asteroid of this size (140-310 ft) happens only about once per decade, providing a unique opportunity for science.

— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) March 21, 2023

According to NASA, it is an important opportunity for astronomers to increase their knowledge of asteroids, in case that a dangerous object is discovered that can hit the Earth.

“There is no chance that this ‘City Killer’ will hit Earth, but its close approach offers a great opportunity for observations,” said the European Space Agency’s head of planetary defense, Richard Moisl.

As it passes just 68,000 kilometers away, the asteroid will be visible through binoculars and small telescopes around the globe.

A live webcast of his approach will be provided by the The Virtual Telescope Project.

The object looks set to return to Earth’s orbit in 2026, but scientists have ruled it out as a threat to the planet in that case.

With information from BBC News